The best comparison to the gauntlet facing Alabama week-to-week right now is that it's similar to an NFL schedule. There are no easy games in the immediate future. Every week presents a difficult challenge.
Alabama is currently in the midst of a seven-game stretch that features six ranked opponents. The one unranked opponent is a difficult road tilt at South Carolina in a couple of weeks. Alabama can't rest on its laurels after wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt. This week, the Crimson Tide travels to Columbia to face undefeated Missouri in a tricky 11am kickoff.
Alabama opened as a small road favorite, currently listed at -3.5 on FanDuel. But according to Bill Connelly's SP+ system, the Crimson Tide is actually the underdog this week on the road. SP+ projects a 26-24 Missouri win.
SP+ projects Missouri to beat Alabama by a small margin
There's not much of a gap between the two programs in Connelly's ranking system. Alabama is currently No. 7; Missouri is No. 9. That's not a big enough gap for SP+ to project an Alabama road win, though the Tigers' win probability is only 54%, meaning this game is effectively a coin flip.
Missouri is off to a 5-0 start, and they've been well-balanced on offense. Penn State transfer Beau Pribula is a dual-threat who has performed at a high level for Eli Drinkwitz. The strength of the team is on the ground, however, led by UL Monroe transfer RB Ahmad Hardy, who leads the nation in rushing with 730 yards.
Alabama's run defense settled in after early struggles against Vanderbilt, but it has been a struggle at times this season. Alabama has struggled with run fits, and against a Missouri ground attack that has bludgeoned teams so far this year, that could be a major problem for Kalen DeBoer.
The biggest edge Alabama has is that it's battle-tested, though Missouri has the added edge of a bye week last week, giving them extra time to prepare for the Crimson Tide.
Per ESPN's metrics, Missouri has had the easiest strength of schedule in the SEC so far, ranked No. 109 in the country. Alabama has played the third-toughest schedule of any team in the country. Alabama has already faced three ranked opponents, and four of its five games have come against Power Four opposition.
Missouri has yet to play a ranked team, though they do have quality home wins over South Carolina and Kansas. The Tigers have yet to play a game away from home this season, and won't until a trip to Auburn next week.
Alabama has a lot of tough games ahead. Navigating this tricky road trip won't come close to clinching a playoff bid or anything, but it would be further proof that this team has turned the corner and DeBoer has figured out how to keep this team properly motivated week-to-week.